Making a Connection
by sookieandsamfan
Summary: A look at Owen & Claire's history prior to Jurassic World. Their connection is real - but something goes wrong. The events of Jurassic World help them find their way back to each other.
1. A Touching Moment

Set-up/Story idea: So this is now my third Claire and Owen fanfic. I do not think I'm alone in thinking that the movie insinuated that Owen and Claire likely had a little more history than just a terrible first date. This is my take on one way that could have led up to their animosity towards each other. Hope you enjoy it. I tried to make it make sense within the context of the movie. I thinking this story will be a total of four, maybe five chapters.

Chapter 1 – A touching moment…

Owen was so relieved. He had just completed a demonstration with the raptors for the park's operations manager Claire Dearing, as well as a whole host of other bigwigs.

He had been hearing some chatter that they were considering cutting back on the program since these raptors were not a public attraction for the park. He knew is was likely true when he'd gotten a last minute request from his boss to do a training demonstration for the board of directors. They wanted to see that the raptors were making progress. Considering the raptors were primarily used for research purposes, a question had come into play as to whether they had too many staff people devoted to helping out in this area. Owen was fearful not that he would lose his job, but that some of his friends might lose theirs or be rerouted to another section of the park if part of their funding was cut. He did not want that to happen. He couldn't bear the thought of losing anyone on his crew, especially his best friend Barry.

In today's demonstration he had showcased how far the raptors had come in their training and made a strong argument as to why every single person on his crew was necessary and needed. He wouldn't know if it had worked for a few more weeks after the yearly all hand on deck type of board meeting, but he hoped it was enough.

His girls were now all back in their cages with their heads securely placed in their muzzles. Owen leaned down and whispered to Blue, "you did good today girl." Blue's temperament was crucial in keeping her siblings in check, so he truly was grateful for her cooperation. She responded to his praise with a happy snort.

"So it's true," he heard a female voice call from the other side of the gate. Owen looked up to see none other than Claire Dearing standing there looking as if she just stepped out of the pages of a high end fashion magazine.

"Ms. Dearing," Owen said nodding and acknowledging her presence. "I didn't realize you were still here." He paused then added, "What's true?"

"That you are the raptor whisperer." She responded smiling a bit. "At least that's what everyone calls you."

Owen laughed. "Haven't heard that," he said. "Guess they don't say that to my face. And I'm not sure it's true anyways."

"I beg to differ," she said a bit playfully. "I'm pretty sure I just saw you whispering to that raptor."

Owen laughed. "Is she flirting with me?" He wondered. Probably not but a man could dream. "Well, it's hard to argue with that," he said then added politely, "is there something else I can help with?"

Claire and Owen had seen each other around in meetings but they had not officially met until today. Both had taken notice of the other unable to deny at least a physical attraction from a distance, but they had never actually spoken until Owen had shaken her hand and introduced himself about an hour before. Her sparkling blue eyes were gorgeous, he had noticed right away.

"My assistant took the other board members back to the park for lunch. I stayed behind because I had a follow up question," she replied.

"Of course," Owen said trying to sound polite when he was nervous. "She wasn't convinced about our work here," he worried to himself.

He walked closer to the gate. "What would you like to know?"

"Actually," she started, "I was wondering if I could take a closer look at the raptors. I've only really ever seen the baby and herbivore dinosaurs up close. Would that be okay?"

Claire had even surprised herself when she asked Zara to go ahead without her, but there was something about these animals, and yes maybe about their trainer, she was dying to know more about.

Owen was relieved. Her question was just if she could take a closer look at the raptors. That he could handle. She had seen the demonstration from up high behind a glass.

"Sure," Owen said opening the gate to allow her to come into what they called the arena. "This is a perfect time because they are muzzled, and they just ate, so they are calm."

"Thank you, Mr. Grady," she said as she stepped through.

"Owen," he corrected and flashed his gorgeous smile.

"Owen," she repeated smiling and hoped her cheeks weren't pink. "It's just his name, Claire, jeez," she thought to herself confused and intrigued about why she felt so shy around him.

"Watch your step," Owen said and gently grabbed her elbow to steer her away from what looked like a pile of mostly consumed animal parts. "Sorry," he said giving her an apologetic look and letting go of her. "We don't typically have people with such nice shoes on in here," he said staring at her feet.

Claire's elbow burned where his warm hand had been. "Thanks," she simply responded, "I'll be more careful."

She more closely watched her foot placement as she followed Owen closer to the raptors. She smiled as she got close enough to really take a close look. "This is Blue, right?" She asked leaning down to take a closer look now stepping in front of Owen.

"Yep," Owen answered impressed by her attention to detail. "She's beautiful huh?" Owen certainly felt that way about her but sometimes got funny looks from people when he said things like that. Not from Claire though. He could see the awe in her eyes, and it warmed his heart.

"She's amazing," Claire responded stepping even closer. Claire herself would admit she had grown somewhat immune to the awe of these animals over the years, but these raptors were so incredible. Beautiful, intelligent, and dangerous. "Can I touch her?" She asked looking back at Owen hopefully.

"Sure," Owen responded smiling aware of the fact that her interest in the raptors was making him happier than it should. He walked over to Blue, and leaned down and said softly, "Good girl," and petted her head gently. "Ms. Dearing here is going to pet you too," he told her. "She's nice." When Blue responded with what Claire could swear was a purr, Owen looked at her over the top of Blue and said, "okay, go ahead."

"Thanks, and you can call me Claire," she added meeting his eyes. Owen smiled. "Claire," he repeated.

Claire stretched out her hand a bit tentatively and placed it where Owen's had just been. She smiled immediately. "She's so soft," Claire, said sounding surprised. "Like..." She trailed off looking for the right word.

"Feathers," Owen suggested.

"Yes," Claire responded. She looked so lizard-like, but she felt more like a bird. Claire continued petting the top of Blue's head as Owen watched. Owen suddenly realized he was seeing something remarkable. From what he knew and had heard about Claire Dearing, she was all work and no play...a smart, capable, and at times vicious businesswoman. But here, now, he was seeing a very human and maybe even vulnerable side that he doubted many, if any, people got to see. He knew right then and there that he was desperate to know more about this woman.

"It feels like suede under her chin," Owen said. "Here," he said and gently reached for her hand. Claire let him take it and move it under Blue's chin. "Right there," he said placing her hand gently in place and using his own hand to help Claire stroke Blue's soft skin in the right spot to feel what he was talking about.

"Wow," Claire said. "That's incredible." These raptors and this man were full of surprises.

Claire continued to pet Blue, and so did Owen, though within about a minute they both became aware that he was really now just lightly stroking the back of Claire's hand instead of actually touching the raptor. She had no complaints but someone did. Suddenly, Blue made a hissing noise, which startled Claire. She gasped and jerked her hand back.

"I'm sorry," she said sounding both started and concerned. "Did I hurt her?"

Owen laughed but appreciated Claire's concern. "Nah," he said gently stroking Blue's nose. "She's just jealous."

"Jealous," Claire said in surprise looking into Owen's eyes. "Of what?" She asked.

"That I'm about to ask you out on a date," Owen responded grinning.

Claire blushed. "Where did that come from?" she thought to herself.

"Oh, why?" She asked out loud before she could stop herself really wondering what this man could possibly see in her. He had caught her totally off guard. They were so different. "You don't even know me." She said softly.

"I know that, and I want to," he said genuinely now stepping away from Blue and closer to Claire. "Come on, please," he said and pouted his lip, which made her laugh.

Claire thought for minute. She hadn't been on a date in a very long time, and there was no denying Owen was good-looking and smart, and the butterflies in her stomach told her she was even more intrigued than just that. Though she was his superior at the park, he didn't technically report to her, so she didn't think it would be an HR issue. "Oh what the hell?" Claire thought to herself.

She looked into Owen's eyes and said, "it's against my better judgment, but I'm going to say yes."

Owen grinned, and Claire quickly followed up with, "but only if it's okay with Blue."

Owen walked over to Blue and said, "you don't mind, do you girl?" Owen patted her head and she purred. "See, she's fine with it. She's just protective."

"Okay, then," Claire said again smiling.

"Great. How about tonight?"

"I can't tonight. I'm in meetings with the board until 8," she replied. "How about tomorrow?"

"Sure," he said.

"I'll make reservations at one of the park restaurants. Do you have a preference?" She asked.

"Ladies choice," he responded smiling.

"Okay, I'll pick you up at 6:30, okay?"

"Pick me up? How do you know where I live?" He asked sounding surprised.

"I know as much as possible about all the park employees, especially ones who make special requests" Claire responded a bit teasingly. "For instance, I know that you live in the cabin furthest away from the park as your housing application requested that you have as much outdoor space as possible. It's a 20-minute drive, so 6:30 should allow us to make a 7 o'clock reservation. I also know that you have a motorcycle instead of a car because you were the first employee to request one on property, and we had to buy a special insurance policy for it, so I figured me driving was the best option. Is that okay?" She asked.

Owen was stunned on so many levels. She seemed to know a lot more about him than he would have imagined, and man was she organized. "Well, they say opposites attract," he thought to himself. Certainly wasn't anything to scare him away.

"Sure that's fine," he said.

"Okay then," she said smiling. "See you tomorrow. Thank you for showing me the raptors." She then added shyly, "and for asking me out."

"Yep," Owen thought. "Definitely not scaring me away."

"Thanks for saying yes," he said smiling, and with that she disappeared around the corner to walk to her car.

About that time, Barry walked out to where Owen was standing. "Was that Ms. Dearing still here?" he asked.

"Yep," Owen said. "She just had a few more questions."

Barry knew Owen well enough to know that wasn't the whole story given his smug tone.

"Owen?" He asked in a prodding tone.

Owen smiled. "Can't get anything past you, huh? She wanted to pet Blue, and I asked her out. We are going on a date tomorrow."

"Wow," Barry said. "I wouldn't have figured her for your type, and definitely not you hers," he added jokingly.

Owen laughed and clapped Barry's shoulder. "I'm not sure we are my friend, but I want to find out. I'll tell you one thing though," he said laughing to his buddy as they walked back toward the enclosure. "I have a feeling that woman will be more of a challenge than all four of these raptors." The best friends laughed as they made their way back into the arena.


	2. The First Date

Chapter 2: The first date

The next evening he heard a car pulling up to his bungalow at 6:30 on the dot. He looked out the window to see Claire step out and start walking towards his front door. She was dressed in a light blue sundress with a white cardigan and a tall pair of white wedge shoes with straps around her ankles. She looked absolutely stunning. Owen looked down at his own outfit and had a moment of panic. He didn't really have that many nice clothes and wouldn't consider most of the restaurants in the park high end, so he was wearing a collared short-sleeved navy polo shirt with a pair of plaid white, green and navy board shorts. He looked dressed up for him compared to his usual day-to-day wear, but looked like a slob compared to Claire. Unfortunately it was too late now as she was knocking on the door. She smiled widely as he opened it.

"Hi, Owen."

"You look amazing," he told her in response. "I'm underdressed. Sorry. I will change. Come on in." He was trying to think about what he might have to dress up more.

"No," Claire responded quickly. "Don't do that. You look nice."

Owen quirked his eyebrows at her in disbelief.

"You do," she said. "You look … good," she followed up and boy did she mean it. He looked hot. She was tempted to say that but thought better of it and said "good" instead. His short sleeves showed off his muscles. "Don't change," she said again. "I like your outfit."

"If you're sure," he reluctantly agreed and stepped out on the porch to join her. They walked down the stairs together and he held open the driver's side door for her to get in the car.

Owen asked her about her day as they drove to the restaurant, and she told him about a few of her meetings. She asked the same of him and he told her about a new drill he was doing with the raptors called "hide and seek." It was genuine and easy conversation that came naturally – and felt like they had talked for more than just a few minutes. They pulled up out front of a restaurant called The Blue Lagoon a few minutes before 7. She parked in a space marked reserved, and Owen quickly hopped out so he could once again open the door for her. "Thank you," she said smiling shyly. "Stop being so nervous," she thought to herself.

They walked up to the front podium, and Claire didn't have to say a thing. They jumped to attention when they saw her. "Ms. Dearing" a young male host said. "We have your table all ready." They followed him toward the back of the restaurant. Owen was relieved to see that most of the other guests were dressed more like him than Claire. She didn't look out of place, just a cut above the rest, which she was in Owen's mind. Owen did notice the young host staring at Owen in disbelief that he was actually there with Claire. He was going to take that as a compliment and assume Claire didn't bring many men here on dates. He was happy about that.

They took their seats with the host pulling out the chair for Claire. "Your server will be right with you," he said.

They thanked him and picked up the menus. "I've never been to this place," Owen said. "What's good here?"

"Well," Claire replied. "The sushi is good and their specials are usually delicious."

Soon a young server arrived to take their drink orders. Claire ordered a glass of white wine and Owen ordered a rum and coke. They listened to the specials and both went ahead and ordered one. Owen the salmon and Claire the tilapia.

Once the waiter brought the drinks, Owen held up his glass and said "cheers to a fun night ahead." Claire smiled and clinked her glass with his. Owen just looked at her for a moment awe struck by her beauty. "Your eyes sparkle when you smile," he said partly just thinking out loud but he wasn't afraid to say it. Her stomach did flip-flops, and she blushed and took a drink of her wine after saying "thank you." She needed to pull it together.

Suddenly she felt panicked and didn't know what to do. She was used to being in control, but Owen made her feel flustered. She reached for her purse and pulled out a list. "Do you want to do something after dinner?" she said rambling. "We could see a movie, or go to the planetarium show, or there's a bonfire down on the beach every Thursday." She continued studying the list of evening events. Owen looked at her amused and suppressed a laugh. He had never met someone so organized. She seemed anxious. "Or we could just see what happens," he said forcing her pause and look up. "You know, wing it." He wasn't used to being so scheduled. She blushed again embarrassed. Was he making fun of her? He suddenly saw the hurt in her eyes and reached over and took the paper from her hands. "Let me see this thing," he said plucking it from her hand. When he did, he gently placed his other hand over hers in a comforting manner.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I'm kind of nervous." She was embarrassed and not sure what possessed her to admit that, but she felt better after saying that out loud.

"Why?" Owen said looking into her eyes genuinely confused.

"I don't go on many dates," she admitted. "And I'm not good at 'winging' it," she said making air quotes.

Owen softened at her admission. He figured when she did go on dates it was likely with someone more like her than him.

He brushed the back of her hand gently. "Well," he said softly, "there is no reason to be nervous. It's just me, okay?" She nodded. Then he looked at the list she had printed and said, I think we should check out the bonfire after dinner. The view of the stars from that section of the beach is incredible." Claire smiled in relief pleased to have a plan and that he maybe didn't think she was completely ridiculous. "It's a plan," she said smiling, and Owen was thrilled he had put her at ease.

Their food came a few minutes later and they made easy conversation. How they wound up at park and other small talk. Owen paid the bill when it came, and they headed out to go down to the beach. It was just a short walk from the restaurant, so they left Claire's car parked where it was.

They walked down a set of stairs into the sand and could see the bonfire near a bar shaped like a tiki hut a little further down the beach. Claire took a few steps and realized her shoes were not going to work on this terrain. She paused, and Owen held her left elbow to keep her from falling while she slipped them off. She gathered them in her right hand. As she stood back upright, Owen boldly slid his hand down her left arm and held her hand. She smiled up at him as he gave her a hopeful look letting him know she was okay with it. She even shifted a bit to intertwine their fingers. Owen smiled and rubbed her palm with his thumb sending chills up her spine as they walked toward the beach bar and bonfire.

Owen strode up to the bar not letting go of Claire's hand and immediately starting making small talk with the bartender. It was clear he was a regular. Claire wasn't surprised. She knew the staff frequented the park's attractions, especially in the evening. She just wasn't usually a part of that. "I'm going to have a margarita," he said. "You?" "No thanks," she said. "I don't drink tequila." "Why not?" He asked in mock offense. She laughed. "It's not allowed on my diet," she said, and he playfully rolled his eyes. "I'll have a Cosmo," she told him. Owen ordered and paid. He reluctantly let go of Claire's hand to let her have her drink, since she was holding her shoes in her other hand.

Once they had their drinks in hand they made their way toward the bonfire. Owen placed his hand on Claire's back to guide her, and her skin burned through her dress at the contact. They found a log just big enough for two people and sat down. The bonfire was lovely and lively with folks dancing to beachy music. Claire and Owen drank their drinks and continued chatting. Owen impressed Claire with his knowledge about constellations as he pointed out numerous arrangements in the sky. He gazed at her as she looked up, and said, "You really are beautiful, you know." She smiled and blushed and considering their drinks were finished (which made her a bit more brave), now slipped her hand back into his lacing their fingers. She even placed her head on his shoulder. Owen was smitten beyond belief already. There was no denying that. They continued to snuggle and chat until the flames were dying down. They walked back to Claire's car hand in hand after she fastened her shoes back on at the top of the stairs.

They pulled up in front of Owen's house sooner than either one of them wanted. Neither wanted the date to be over. Claire had never felt more at ease with him than with anyone, which seemed crazy considering how different they were. Maybe that was why she was feeling the way she was about him. She needed somebody like Owen who could help her relax and let go once in a while. She'd felt more free tonight than she had in a long time.

She parked the car but didn't turn it off. She thought it would be weird for her to walk him to his door. "Well," she started. "I had a great time tonight. Thank you."

"Me too," Owen said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Well I guess this is good night." He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek gently cupping her face. She smiled and they locked eyes as he pulled back. They both blinked a few times, and then he gently kissed her on the lips. Claire barely had time to close her eyes it was so quick, but it was sweet. He again pulled back and searched her eyes and face for clues as to what to do next.

Claire could not help herself even if she wanted to. It was like she couldn't control her own actions. She reached up wrapping her arms around Owen's neck and pressed her lips back to his firmly and hungry. Owen was relieved and eager. He wrapped his arms around Claire and deepened the kiss sliding his tongue against her lips, and she gladly opened her mouth and allowed entry. He kissed exactly like she would have expected. It was rough but gentle at the same time somehow and totally consuming. Claire felt like she could breathe, but she didn't want this moment to end. After a few minutes, Owen wanted and needed her closer. He expertly managed to unbuckle her seatbelt and gently pulled and lifted her over the center console and into his lap from her seat. It was an amazingly non-awkward feat.

Claire dress was fortunately flowy, so it easily gave room for her to sit on Owen's lap, her knees on either side of his thighs.

They kissed like teenagers...literally in a parked car. Claire ran her hands through Owen's hair and across his broad shoulders as he ran his hands up and down her back holding her close. They continued for about 10 minutes when Owen let his hands slide up the sides of Claire's bare legs under her dress and cupped her backside. She sighed heavily as she felt his fingers graze her underwear and became fully aware of the intimate placement of his hands and fingers digging gently into her flesh. She broke their kiss leaning her forehead against his and panting trying to catch her breath.

She was well aware of the effect Owen had on her and knew if she didn't consciously stop she would allow herself to go way too far...not something she wanted to happen on a first date with anyone and certainly someone she wanted a second date...and maybe more...with. She wanted Owen to respect her.

"Are you okay?" Owen asked gently catching his own breath.

"Yes, I'm sorry" she answered softly not looking at him. "Can we just go a little slower?"

Owen immediately let go of her backside and removed his hands from underneath her dress. "How stupid!" He thought cursing himself for getting so caught up in the moment. Claire Dearing was not the kind of woman you got handsy with on a first date. He honestly wasn't expecting anything from her. He was just so attracted to her he had honestly lost himself for a minute. He liked this girl, like really liked her, and he was immediately concerned he had offended her.

"Of course," he said now putting his hands on her face to pull her back and make her look at him. "I'm really sorry," he said looking into her eyes. "I just got caught up in the moment," he admitted.

"It's okay," she said but now removed herself from his lap and got back into her own seat. She smoothed down her dress. Owen immediately felt emptiness and was terrified by what he saw in her eyes - fear and second-guessing. Had he blown it?

"Claire," he said picking up her hand and kissing the back of it gently. He was relieved she didn't recoil at his touch and even turned to look at him. "Seriously, please don't write me off," he pleaded. "I'm really not that kind of guy."

She smiled then leaned over and kissed him gently. "Thank God!" He thought victoriously. "I got caught up too," she admitted. "I just don't want to move too fast," she added hoping to reiterate that she loved kissing him; she just needed to take things slower.

"I completely understand," Owen said softly. "Thank you for a wonderful evening." He kissed her again softly then got out of the car not wanting to overstay his welcome. She smiled and waved and pulled away after buckling her seatbelt.

As she caught a glimpse of her pink cheeks and puffy lips in the rear use mirror, she smiled thinking about what was yet to come with Owen Grady. She couldn't wait to find out.


	3. Misunderstandings lead to trouble

Chapter 3: Misunderstandings lead to trouble

Claire woke up the next morning feeling giddy. It had been so long since she had been so excited about anything that didn't revolve around money related to the park. She had been so focused on her career in the past few years that she had not made any time for herself, let alone a relationship. She was pretty sure Owen was exactly the kind of thing she needed to help balance out her insane commitment to work. Though they were only one date in, she had a very good feeling about what could come of her relationship with him.

As she walked into her office at 8 a.m. on the nose, per usual, her cell phone dinged with a text message. She smiled when she saw it was from Owen. "I can't stop thinking about you," it read. "Second date this weekend? Please." After the words, there was an emoji making a pouty face, similar to what he had done in person when he asked her out the first time. Claire couldn't wipe the grin off her face even if she wanted too. She was about to type "Ditto, and yes!" when her assistant Zara walked in with her morning coffee (skinny vanilla latte) to go over her calendar for the day.

Zara typically knew Claire's every move, but she had gone with the board members back to Costa Rica to make sure all their flights and whatnot were coordinated, so she had been off property last night during Claire's date.

"You look happy this morning, Miss Dearing," Zara said cheerfully.

Zara had been working for Claire for three years, so their relationship had long blurred the lines of friendship.

"I had a date last night," Claire responded. "A good date."

"That's wonderful," Zara responded. She knew Claire rarely dated so this must be some kind of man. She was a bit surprised she was just now hearing about. "Anyone I know?"

"Yes actually," Claire said. "Owen Grady, the raptor trainer." Claire looked up from her coffee just in time to see Zara's face fall.

"Oh," she responded. "I hope you had a great time," she said trying to sound nonchalant then immediately launched into the day's schedule. "So, you have a 9 a.m. with facilities about upgrading the seating in the restaurants, then…"

Claire cut her off. "No, wait a minute. Why did you make that face?"

"Miss Dearing, I probably shouldn't say anything, but maybe you should be careful with Owen," Zara responded. She didn't even try to dance around it. She knew Claire well enough to know that she wouldn't stop until Zara coughed up the info anyway, so she might as well just spill it.

"Why?" Claire responded as a pit formed in her stomach.

"Maybe it's not my place," Zara started, "but he has a bit of a reputation with the girls around the island. He made his way through more than a few of them. His MO is to take them to the bonfire on the beach, romance them with his knowledge of the stars, then get them into bed – always their bed. No one I know even knows where he lives on the island. The next morning, he's gone. Don't get me wrong, it's consensual, and those girls know what they are getting into to. It's just seems like he might be a one-night-stand kind of guy, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

Claire felt like she was going to be sick.

She thought back to the night before. The way he jumped at that bonfire event off her list. His familiarity with the bartender. Of course, he had taken girls there before. Only their date hadn't ended the way he was apparently used too.

"Claire," Zara asked. "Are you okay?"

"How many girls is a few?" she responded. "Three, six."

She could tell Zara didn't want to answer and knew the number must be way higher.

"I only know a few, but I've heard about others," she answered honestly.

Claire didn't say anything for a minute. Zara broke the silence.

"It's none of my business, but did your date end that way? Only if you want to tell me."

"No," Claire finally said. "I dropped him off at his house, and we kissed a little but we didn't sleep together. And, he asked me out again this morning."

"Well," Zara said carefully. "That's way different that his norm from what I understand. Maybe he really likes you."

"Or maybe he didn't get me into the bed the first night, so he needs another date to make that happen," Claire responded now angry.

"You went to his house," Zara offered seeing how much Claire was hurting.

"Only because I insisted on driving," Claire said not sure whether to burst into tears or scream.

She stood up from her desk. "Please reschedule my meeting with facilities for this afternoon. I'll be back in an hour," she said.

"Claire, maybe you should think about this?" Zara said knowing good and well her arguments would fall on deaf ears. "I could be wrong. I don't know him that well personally. I'm relaying hearsay – it may not be accurate," she called after her as Claire let the door swing behind her.

Her words were lost on Claire who was already walking out of the office to go to her car and head out to the raptor area. If there was one thing Claire hated above everything else, it was feeling foolish, and she'd be damned if she let Owen Grady make a fool of her – no matter how charming and good-looking he might be.


	4. Confrontation goes wrong

Chapter 4: Confrontation goes wrong

Across the park at the raptor arena, Owen whistled a made-up tune as he filled buckets full of rats for his morning training with the girls.

"I take it your date went well," Barry said.

"You have no idea," Owen said.

"Enlighten me," Barry followed up.

"Well, I asked her out on a second date if that tells you anything. I'm just waiting to hear back." Owen said. As he suspected, this detail stopped Barry in his tracks. Barry clutched his heart and then held his hands up to his ear. "Excuse me," he said. "I think I need to hear that again."

"You heard me," Owen replied grinning.

"Are you telling me that Claire Dearing may finally be the one who could tame Owen Grady?" Barry said laughing.

"Maybe," Owen said quirking his eyebrows.

Owen was a serial bachelor. Having been on the island for several years, sure he had gone out with his fair share of women, but none of them held a candle to Claire. All they wanted was a night out and to jump in bed with him at the end. No arguments on his end – he gladly participated, but he knew there was nothing real with those girls. He had never wanted anything more with them. Claire was different. He could see himself falling in love with her – and that was something he had never felt with anyone.

"Can I assume that you didn't sleep with her?" Barry asked. If the answer was no, he knew Owen truly had it bad for this girl. These two were incredibly close, so it wasn't an out of line or surprising question.

"Nope," Owen answered. "I got a little too handsy at the end of the night, though, so I hope I didn't spook her."

"Well, here's your chance to find out," Barry said looking over his shoulder out into the parking lot outside the arena.

"What do you mean?" Owen asked but at the same time turned his head in the direction Barry was looking to see Claire's car pulling up. He immediately broke out into a huge smile and set down the bucket of rats and took off his gloves. His smile quickly faded as she stepped out of the car and headed in their direction. The look on her face was certainly not a happy one.

As she approached the gate, she said, "Mr. Grady, might I have a word?"

"Uh oh," Owen thought to himself. Back to Mr. Grady. This can't be good.

"Sure," Owen said and looked back and Barry with wide eyes and a stare that clearly showed he had no idea what was going on. Claire turned around to walk back toward her car obviously seeking privacy. Owen shrugged his shoulders and followed behind Claire as Barry mouthed, "Good luck."

"Hi," Owen said as soon as they were out of earshot, "What's wrong?"

Claire spun around on her heels so fast that Owen nearly tripped over her. She looked him right in the eyes and asked, "How many girls have you taken on that same bonfire date?"

Owen's stomach immediately dropped as he saw the hurt in her eyes. It didn't take a genius to realize that she had been talking to one of the women he'd gone out with before, or someone who knew them. He had incorrectly assumed that Claire likely didn't associate, at least on more than a work-related basis, with any of his previous hook-ups.

"Claire," he started slowly trying to figure out how to proceed. He could only imagine what she must be thinking.

"How many?" she asked again.

"A few," he answered honestly. There was no use in denying it. "But in my defense…a) there are not that many nighttime activities on this island, so in the years I've lived here it's reasonable to think I would have gone to the bonfire before, and b) I chose that off your list. The other things on there – the movie or the show – were not going to allow me to talk to you as much, so that's why I picked it."

"What and now you want a second date because I didn't fall into bed with you like every other girl on this island? Sorry your vast knowledge of constellations wasn't enough to make me rip my clothes off for you," she accused.

"Who has she been talking too?" Owen wondered to himself as he also admired her tenacity. He just wished it wasn't being directed at him.

"Absolutely not," Owen said defensively. "I want a second date with you because I like you. A lot," he said emphatically.

Owen wasn't sure if she had actually heard him or not because she just kept talking and launched into a bit of a tirade half yelling at him and half thinking out loud.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to get close to people? I don't know what I was thinking. I've spent a total of what, 5 hours with you, and you had me eating out of the palm of your hand. You made me feel special. Then I find out that you've slept with half the women on this island."

"Claire," Owen said gently desperately trying to calm her down. "You are special."

She took a deep breath but said nothing, so Owen continued.

"Half the women on this island is an insane exaggeration, but I won't lie and say that I haven't gone out with quite a few girls. But – those were consensually, casual relationships," he managed to spit out trying to choose his words carefully. "Nobody was looking for more. I want more with you," he finished.

She was now looking at the ground. Owen tentatively reached out to tip her chin up to look at him relieved when she didn't swat him away. She had tears in her sparking blue eyes, which broke his heart.

"I wish I could believe that," she said sadly finally calming down. "But with my job here, I cannot risk winding up another notch on Owen Grady's bedpost. I would be a laughing stock. I have worked too hard to let that happen."

Owen was at a loss as to what to say. He thought for a moment, and then said, "Claire, I feel like I'm falling in love with you." He said it almost begging and truly and sincerely meant it. But, it was the wrong thing to say.

"Oh please," she said quickly transitioning from calm to clearly pissed off. "That's a load of crap. You barely know me." In truth, if she really searched inside, she knew it wasn't crap because she felt the same way, but now was not the time to explore that. She needed to stop whatever this was before it got out of hand. She already felt like a fool. She looked right in his eyes and said, "Stay away from me." She then turned and jumped into the car before she really started crying.

Owen was too stunned to stop her. The fiery redhead drove out of sight. Could he blame her for being worried? He wasn't aware he had such a reputation. He scanned his brain trying to think of who she might have talked with between last night when things seemed great and this morning when it all went to hell.

Owen walked back into the arena.

"You okay, man?" Barry asked.

"No," Owen said. "She freaked out. "Apparently she heard that I was some kind of major player (he used air quotes) who just bedded girls and left them. She's afraid I'll do that to her."

"Who would have told her that?" Barry asked. "I don't imagine she hangs out with the girls you usually go out with. Owen shook his head indicating he didn't know. Owen was certainly a ladies man, so Barry couldn't say he was surprised, but he knew his best friend was not a malicious person, and it was beyond clear that Claire was unlike any other girl he'd ever met. His feelings for her were written all over his now sad face. "What about her assistant? What was her name?" Barry asked.

"That's it," Owen said. He and Zara were just acquaintances, but he had seen here around the park with several of the other women he'd gone out with. Zara must have warned Claire against Owen when she found out they had gone a date.

"I gotta go, dude," Owen said to Barry. "You good?"

"Of course," Barry said, and now wished him luck out loud.


	5. A plea of understanding

Chapter 5: A plea of understanding

Owen hopped on his motorcycle and drove straight to the main office where Claire was based. He walked in to see Zara sitting at a front desk outside of Claire's office. He could see through the glass that Claire was not in there. Zara immediately hopped up and approached him probably nervous that he was going to cause a scene.

"Ms. Dearing is in a meeting," she said firmly.

"I'm not here to see her," Owen said firmly back. "I'm here to see you. What did you tell her?" he said through gritted teeth.

Zara pulled him to the side so anybody close could not hear them, but she was not intimidated in the least by Owen. She had to have pretty thick skin to work with someone like Claire – whom she had actually grown quite fond of over the years.

"The truth," she bit back. "That you are a notoriously commitment-shy player who has never had more than a one night stand with any woman I know of. I'm trying to protect her," she added defensively.

Owen swallowed hard. It was the truth. He couldn't even argue with that, and he admired that Zara was protecting her friend. But it was different with Claire.

"Okay, fine." Owen said realizing that yelling would get him nowhere. His only hope was to make Zara understand his intentions so she could relay them to Claire. "I'll admit it might seem that way, but it's not like that with Claire, I promise."

Zara didn't skip a beat. "I know those other girls are well aware of what they are getting into with you, but Claire is not that kind of girl. She may seem tough, and she is about most things, but she's actually quite vulnerable and somewhat naïve when it comes to dating. You're actually only the second person I've known her to go out with since I've been working for her. She would kill me for saying that," she said pausing.

Owen took a deep breath. "Look, I appreciate that you are trying to protect her, but you don't have to from me. I promise you. I would never hurt her."

Zara looked into Owen's eyes and could tell he was telling the truth.

"I believe you," she said.

"Thanks," he responded. "Will you talk to her for me please. Tell her you were wrong about me?"

"I'll try," she agreed, "but you should know that Claire doesn't change her mind easily. It may not help at this point."

Owen nodded and started to leave.

"I'm sorry," Zara said. "I should have confronted you before telling her anything. She caught me off guard when she told me that she had gone out with you, and I couldn't hide my surprise. I just told her what I knew. I care about her."

"I accept your apology," Owen conceded. "I understand, but I hope you'll help me now."

"I'll try," she promised again, and Owen left unfortunately not very optimistic.

Claire emerged from her meeting feeling emotionally exhausted. She had returned from her run-in with Owen and went straight into a meeting with the park's owner, Simon Masrani, and several of the lead geneticists. They had a plan to genetically modify a T-Rex to make it even bigger and scarier. They wanted her to lead the marketing efforts and secure a major sponsorship for the new attraction. They were going to need million if not billions of dollars, and she didn't have much time – a few months max. She was overwhelmed but up for the challenge. This task felt much easier than navigating Owen Grady, believe it or not.

It was now nearly noon. As she sat down at her desk, Zara magically appeared with a grilled chicken salad and a diet coke. "Thank you," Claire said with gratitude. "Any messages?"

"Owen stopped by," Zara blurted out.

Claire wasn't surprised.

"And?" Claire said.

"I talked to him, Claire," Zara using her first name indicated this was now a friendly conversation – nothing work-related. "I can tell he really cares about you. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions without asking him first. Please don't let my initial comments stop you from pursuing a relationship with him. It's clear you care about him too."

"Zara," Claire began carefully. "I appreciate you caring about my well being, but Owen is clearly a master as getting what he wants. How can you be sure he was sincere? Maybe he's fooling us both. Either way – I have a new, big project to worry about, and I don't need him as a distraction anyway. This is for the best."

Claire wanted to believe the words she was saying, and she planned to stick to her guns, but she was devastated inside. Owen made her feel something she had never felt before. She didn't want to let that go, but she just couldn't risk getting involved with a man who seemed to treat relationships so casually.

"Claire," Zara started again, but Claire held up her hand.

"End of conversation," Claire said holding up her hand, and Zara knew there was no reason to try any harder. When Claire made up her mind - that was that.

"Okay," Zara said. "Well, enjoy your lunch. Let me know if you need anything."


	6. A last ditch effort

Chapter 6: A last ditch effort

When Owen didn't hear from Claire, he knew that Zara's efforts had failed.

Owen tried texting and calling Claire several times to no avail. He ran into Zara (after lingering outside the main building for more than hour). She told him that she tried to talk to Claire, but it hadn't worked. She apologized.

Two weeks later, it was time for the big board meeting, which would decide the fate of the raptor program. Owen was invited alongside his boss as a courtesy, but he elected to send Barry instead knowing his presence in the same room as Claire would likely not help matters.

When they returned a few hours later, Owen could tell it was good news by the smiles on their faces.

"Well," Owen asked? "Good news I take it."

"We are fully funded for another year," his boss said shaking his hand. "Congratulations."

"So, the board must have been impressed with our progress?" Owen asked.

Barry and his boss looked at each other, and his boss said, "I'll let you fill in the details. I've got to get back to my office."

"Sure thing," Barry said.

"What details?" Owen asked eagerly.

"Well, the board was actually split down the middle five and five to keep current funding in tact or reduce it by 33 percent, which would have resulted in at least a few staff cuts. Claire was the swing vote. She voted in favor of keeping the funding in tact." Barry.

Owen was equally happy and sad.

Barry kept a few extra details to himself. After the meeting, he asked his boss if he could have a minute and approached Claire. It was not his place, but he hated seeing his friend in pain.

"Miss Dearing," he asked politely. "Could I have a moment?"

Claire looked up from her paper. She knew who Barry was, and she was pretty sure what he might say, but she didn't want to be rude.

"Of course, Barry, right? You work with...the raptors." She paused as she was about to say Owen but went with the raptors instead.

"Yes, mam, and Owen," he added for her.

"What can I help you with?" Claire asked.

"I know it's not my place, but I couldn't leave here without telling you what a wreck Owen is over you. He's my best friend, and I've never seen him like this."

Claire couldn't help but bite especially since there was no one else within earshot.

"Can I trust him?" she asked point blank. No use in wasting time as that was really the ultimate question.

"Yes." Barry said firmly. "I can only imagine what you might have heard about him. I've never known him to be one to even consider anything more than a casual relationship, but I've never seen him look at or talk about anyone the way he does you. I think he might be in love with you."

Barry echoed exactly what Owen had said, which Claire still thought was a bit nuts considering they had actually spent very little time together, but she could still feel something tugging at her that desperately wanted to believe that and understood the feeling.

"If you would just talk to him, give him a chance to address any fears you may have, I really think you'd see that," Barry said.

"Thank you, Barry," Claire said to end the conversation then quietly added. "I'll consider it, but please don't tell him that because I'm not certain I'm ready or willing to give him that chance."

Barry smiled widely. Even a little headway was worth it. "Of course. Thank you for your time," he added.

Barry didn't want to get his friends hopes up, and he wasn't sure if he would be happy about him talking to Claire without him knowing, so he kept that part of the meeting to himself.

He did add – "I wouldn't give up on that girl just yet, Owen. There may still be hope."

"Thanks, man," Owen said clapping his shoulder, but he wasn't convinced.

Another week went by, and he decided he was going to give it at least one more solid try. Once again, he lingered outside Claire's building until he saw her emerge with Zara and a few other members of her staff.

"Miss Dearing," he said formally approaching the group. "Could I trouble you for a few minutes of your time?"

Claire was totally caught off guard. She hadn't actually seen Owen since that day she had stormed out of the arena after confronting him. Damn if her stomach didn't flood with butterflies at the site of him. Maybe she should give him a chance – at least to talk.

"Your next meeting isn't until 2 p.m.," Zara chimed in. "I'll order your lunch and you can meet us at the restaurant when you're through," she suggested.

Claire glared at Zara fully aware of what she was up too.

"Okay, fine," Claire said. "Five minutes," she followed up and started walking to a more secluded area with a few chairs that employees used for breaks near the building.

"Thank you," Owen mouthed to Zara before he turned to follow her, and she nodded her head and smiled. She felt like she owed him and really did believe his intentions with Claire were true.

Claire sat down on a bench, and Owen took a seat across from her careful not to touch her though their legs were just inches apart. He didn't want to send her into a tailspin before he had a chance to talk to her.

"Well," Claire said. "Here I am. You're persistent. I'll give you that."

Owen suppressed a smile at her tone. Her feisty attitude was one of the things he loved about her – again – just not directed at him.

"First, I wanted to say thank you. I know you cast the swing vote to keep the raptor program in tact, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it," he said.

She actually made full eye contact with him now, and Owen could see that his expression of gratitude had an effect. Her beautiful blue eyes softened somehow. She too realized it was happening, and quickly added. "Well, I didn't do it for you. I did it for Blue." It was a stupid thing to say, but she felt she needed to keep the upper hand in this conversation lest she drop her guard completely and just lean in and kiss him or something equally crazy, which is exactly what she wanted to do.

"Of course," Owen said. "Whatever your reason, I'm grateful from the bottom of my heart." With that statement he tentatively touched her hand. She didn't jerk it away but instead took a deep breath.

"And second?" Claire asked trying to sound annoyed when she was secretly reeling from his touch. He had said "First," so she knew there was something else coming.

Owen smiled was thrilled he had made even a small gain and continued – really launched into what he figured could be his final plea as he knew he was running out of time.

"Second, I don't know how else to say it, but I'm going nuts here, Claire. I will do anything if you will give me a second chance. I'll tell you anything, explain anything. Whatever you need. I'm not surprised that whatever you may have heard about my past spooked you, but I swear to you that all I want is to be with you," Owen. By this time, he had gently pulled up her hand and placed it over his heart. "What can I do?" he asked pleading.

It was an argument that would stand up in any court.

Claire took a moment to take in his words. She may not be 100 percent convinced yet, but she could see that he was being sincere, and she desperately wanted to believe it. Despite having tried to push Owen out of her mind and heart, she was failing miserably and thought about him all the time.

"Give me time," she answered surprising him. He was expecting her to say there was nothing he could do. She continued, as he was stunned with silence. "That's what you can do. I want to believe you, I really do, and I'm willing to at least hear you out. But, I just got this huge project, and I'm under a lot of pressure. I feel like I need to sort all that out a little bit more and then we can start over – maybe," she added trying to maintain the upper hand.

"Done," he said now grinning and fully understanding what she said.

"What if it's a month or two months?" she inquired back now not being able to help her own smile.

"It could be six months – but please don't let it be," he answered. "I don't care how long it is. You let me know when your ready."

She smiled again and honestly felt a huge weight off her shoulders. She could do this. She would get at least a few sponsors interested in the new exhibit then she would feel comfortable pursing a relationship with Owen.

"You have no idea how happy you just made," he said squeezing the hand he had continued to hold.

"What the hell?" Claire thought. She had already given in. She used her other hand to grab him by the shirt and pull him close to her. She kissed him firmly on the lips then pulled back and looked into his eyes. "Don't let me down, Owen," she cautioned.

"I won't," he said and before she could get away, he put his hands on either side of her face and pulled her back into another kiss. She let it go on for a few minutes then pulled back and wriggled from his grasp. "Behave yourself," she barked playfully, or I'll take it all back."

"Yes ma'am," Owen said still grinning and gave her a ridiculous salute. She just shook her head and walked away to go meet Zara and some other girls for lunch.


	7. The waiting game

Chapter 7: The waiting game…

Owen was thrilled. He honestly didn't care how long he had to wait. Claire was willing to start over, and she was worth it.

The next few weeks flew by for Claire. As promised, Owen gave her the space she needed to work on the important project she had been assigned, though he couldn't help sending her a text here and there. They'd simply say "Thinking about you," or "Ready when you are," and she would typically respond with some sort of smiley face or something like, "I haven't forgotten," to let him know she was thinking about him too.

When it had been about a month, Claire tried to sound nonchalant when she asked Zara if she had heard if Owen had been seeing any other girls. "None that I know of," Zara was happy to report. She knew her boss would love to hear that news. "In fact, it's completely the opposite. Owen used to be a go-to to have a good time with. Now, the girls say they never even see him out."

Claire smiled and felt relief wash over. She was close to being ready to give things another try, but they was still a tiny twinge of doubt in her mind.

Owen had been hanging out with Barry some on the weekends, but otherwise, he didn't go out that much. During the times he would have been doing that, he now instead either worked on his motorcycle, devoted more time to the raptors, or just read or caught up on TV. He didn't want to risk blowing it with Claire by even being seen talking to another girl.

At the end of six weeks since Claire had agreed to give Owen a second chance, she decided it had been long enough. She had both Verizon Wireless and XFinity interested in sponsoring the new genetically modified dinosaur being created, and they were secured to come to the island for a visit in six months when the asset was ready. She felt proud and decided it was finally time to reconnect with Owen.

At 3 o'clock, she told Zara to reschedule the rest of her meetings until Monday, then went back to her apartment and changed into a comfier pair of clothes. She then hopped in her car to drive out to the raptor compound. The whole way she had butterflies in her stomach. She knew he would be there. Every Friday at 4 p.m., he always checked the vital signs of all four of the raptors since he was off on the weekends. There were other people there to take care of them then, but he personally wanted to make sure they were okay. She knew and loved this about him. She wondered what he would do when he saw her walking up. She had a romantic movie type vision in her head that he would run to her, lift her in the air and kiss her passionately.

She parked the car and hopped out with weak knees. She made her way to the arena but stopped as her eyes focused on the raptors and Owen…and a tall and beautiful blonde.

The scene felt familiar and sickening. Owen was laughing and chatting with this gorgeous woman and letting her pet Blue. "Does this man have any original ideas?" she thought to herself now furious.

She stood frozen, and then Owen looked up sensing her presence and met her eyes. She could see him connecting the dots that she had caught him with another woman even after her promised her he would wait for her. She turned to walk quickly back to her car, but Owen was faster.

"Hey," she heard him calling after her. "Claire, wait," he said desperately. He finally caught up with her and jumped in front of her to block her path. "No, no, no, no," Owen said frantically. "It's not what you think."

"Get out of my way," she said back in anger.

"You don't understand," Owen said now grabbing her shoulders to hold her in place. "That's my sister."

Claire rolled her eyes. "You must think I'm the stupidest person on the face of the earth," Claire said now struggling to hold back tears. "I trusted you," she now nearly screamed. "Now you've made a fool of me twice!"

"Claire, come ask her yourself," Owen begged. "I know what that must have looked like, but I swear she's my sister."

Claire had enough. She felt angry, sad and ashamed all at the same time. "Owen, I will say this once, and you'd better hear me. Stay away from me, for good this time. Do not try to call me. Do not try to contact me. If you do, I will have you fired. Better yet, I'll have Barry fired." She knew that would hurt him more and at that moment she meant it.

"Fine," Owen said letting go of her shoulders and throwing up his hands in surrender. "You win, Claire. It's over. You have been out to sabotage this relationship for us from the beginning. I can't compete with the crazy notions you have in your head. So fine. I'll leave you alone."

"Good," Claire said getting into her car and slamming the door. She watched in the rearview mirror as Owen threw his hand through the door of a small tool shed near where they had been parked.


	8. Downhill from there

Chapter 8 – Downhill from there…

After that, Claire and Owen didn't see each other for at least three months. Then, they started winding up in meetings together with InGen who wanted to talk about potential uses for the raptors now that they had more of a handle on their intelligence. Owen was vehemently against even considering the idea of using them as a weapon somehow.

They became merely acquaintances who mostly annoyed each other. Both furious at the other for reasons that were mostly a big misunderstanding. It was a sad shame.

Six months after the major blowup at the arena, Mr. Masrani sent Claire to fetch Owen because he wanted him to inspect the compound of the new attraction. Claire was sick at the thought, but she couldn't say no to her boss. When she did go to get him, the interaction was horrible. They were both flippant and angry. He was a jerky flirt and she was a condescending witch. "How did we get here?" she thought to herself as she waited in the car for Owen to change and join her. Their heated exchanges continued, as he was annoyingly right about the enclosure then right about not using lethal weapons when the I-Rex escaped. "You are not in charge here," she yelled when he wouldn't let up, and he left in an angry huff.

When she realized he was the only person who could help her find her nephews, she swallowed her pride and asked for his help.


	9. Starting over

Chapter 9 – Starting over

She was a bit astonished at how quickly he agreed. They continued to battle about numerous things though she was careful about her words in fear he would give up on her and the boys if she got too out of line with him.

She couldn't take it anymore when he tried to send her back to the compound. She somewhat insanely adjusted her clothing and told him that she was going with him whether he liked it or not, and he could not order her around like one of his damn animals. She actually saw his eyes shift to a different understanding of her, and he agreed as long as she followed his orders. "Fine," she consented.

They walked back to the car, so they could drive down to the area where the boys would have most likely gotten out of the lake so they could follow their tracks from there.

In a sudden moment of vulnerability Claire said, "Owen, thank you for helping me find them." She meant it and decided it was worth saying out loud.

"You're welcome," he said back. "Let's not pretend you don't know that I'd do anything for you." Owen was a bit surprised he let that slip out, but what the hell? Who knew if they'd even make it out of here alive?

Claire was equally stunned. She sat quietly for a minute then said, "Actually I don't know that. Still?"

Owen looked over at her as much as he could while still watching where they were going. "Of course," he said. "Nothings changed for me," he admitted.

"Then why do you treat me like it has?" Claire asked now too wrapped up in the conversation to stop. This was probably not the time or place, but if not now, when?

"Why do you think, Claire?" Owen said now sounding a bit testy. "It's the only defense mechanism I have against you. Every time I see you, I just want to cry or drop on my knees and beg you to reconsider. You've made it clear that's not an option, so instead, I'm a jerk. I don't know what else to do."

Claire looked down at her lap. Here he was still – now nearly a year after they had met, heart on his sleeve, emotional about her. "That day, at the arena," she started slowly…."that girl was really your sister wasn't she?"

"Yep," Owen said a bit smugly. "Her name is Kelsey. She's a marine biology major at the University of Miami. She was visiting me for the weekend."

Claire felt horrible. "I'm sorry," she said and meant it. "You were right. Part of me just couldn't believe we could work out, so I freaked out. I'm sorry," she reiterated. "Did you hurt your hand?"

"What?" Owen asked.

"I saw you throw it through that door when I was driving away," she said.

"Oh that, yeah, not my finest moment, but I was fine. Kelsie patched me up then let me get drunk and pretty much cry about you all weekend," he laughed as he admitted it. "She wanted to find you, you know? Get you to listen to her if not me. I told her not to bother. I figured you wouldn't have listened to her anyway."

"You were probably right," Claire admitted. "I was scared." Might as well lay it all on the table. Life-threatening situations will do that to you.

Owen now stopped the car as they had driven as far as they could. They would now have to go on foot. Before they got out, Owen put his arm across Claire to stop her from moving forcing her to look at him. "Has it changed for you?" he asked, and she knew exactly what he was asking. Did she still have feelings for him? His truth was all out there in the open. He had to know whether it was the right time or not. "No," she admitted honestly. "I still care about you, Owen."

"Then lets find those boys, make it out of here alive and really start over," he said and asked at the same time.

"Okay," she said smiling softly. "It's a deal."

"Shake on it," he said now smiling too. She reached out and shook his hand. Then they got out of the car to find Zach and Gray.

***I hope you enjoyed it. I think this story line could have still fit in with the context of the movie and then he still could have kissed her after she saved him since they had sort of made out – but it could have been heat of the moment too. I see this story as somewhat of a prequel to my other fanfic, "Time to Relax," which I encourage you to read too. Full disclosure, it is rated M. Thank you.


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